Mormon Temples

Mormon Temples

In the Mormon religion, no building is more sacred than the temple.  This is where essential ordinances are performed.  Many of these might seem strange or, at least, unfamiliar to people who don’t believe in Mormonism.

See, entering a Mormon temple isn’t something that anyone can do.  You need a temple recommend, which you can only have if you’re a faithful member of the Church who’s had an interview to get that recommend.  Because not everyone can go inside a temple, it can be seen as a secret place, instead of a sacred place.

Before a temple is dedicated as holy to the Lord, though, there are open houses where anyone can walk inside a temple.  Mormon temples are beautifully made, inside and out, and there’s little mysterious about the rooms.  People who walk through won’t find anything to startle them.

Inside the temples, after they’re dedicated, Mormons perform sacred ordinances that they can’t perform anywhere else.  These ordinances are baptisms for the dead, endowments, and sealings.

Only one ordinance can really be performed by youth—baptism for the dead.  What do Mormons believe about baptism for the dead? (Indeed, what is it?)  Like all Mormon baptisms, it’s performed by immersion (dunking someone completely under the water), but unlike other baptisms, it’s performed by proxy.  In other words, it’s performed by someone for someone. 

In baptism for the dead, the member is baptized for someone’s who’s dead.  Spirits can’t be baptized themselves, but baptism for the dead allows them to accept the gospel and the baptism as it’s performed.  They still, as always, have the choice not to accept.

Baptisms for the dead are performed in a special font, which is set on the backs of twelve carved oxen, which represent the twelve tribes of Israel.

An endowment is given to Mormon missionaries before they leave on their mission, or to adult men and women who are ready, or to couples before they get married.  The endowment is a gift of knowledge and the Spirit.  In the endowment, members learn more about the plan of salvation and their purpose here on earth.  After the endowment is also when members start wearing temple garments (often inaccurately called “Mormon underwear”).

A sealing is a marriage, except, while most marriages last only for this life, sealings are meant to be eternal.  If the couple keeps the promises made in the sealing, they can live together forever.  This eternalness extends to their children.  Families are very important in Mormon belief—and for a family to be eternal is an important goal in the faith.

The last two probably aren’t open to you yet, but young members are encouraged to strive to be worthy to perform those ordinances later.